Mallorca by Hand

There is Mallorca, and just beyond, there is Mallorca.  Rarely have I visited a place that presents such a duplicity between its reputation and surface (overcrowded “package” tourism”) and what you can actually find beyond the beaches, teeming resorts, and yes, the maddening crowds. And I’m here to tell you friends that the Mallorca beyond the popular imagination is within easier reach than one might think. Thanks to some great local friendships, I recently spent a day tooling around the island, away from the cruise ship port of Palma and crowds of Brits sunning themselves on the coast, exploring Mallorca’s interior and meting some of its residents that keep things interesting. Here’s just some of the people I met along the way:

Eduardo, the coffee roaster

You’ll have to find yourself in Alaró, Deià or Inca (Saturday, Wednesday or Thursday respectively), to come across Eduardo Santa Cruz, and his Cruz Coffee stand set in the weekly markets of those towns.  I don’t think I’ve come across another barista in all of Spain quite as devoted to the craft and care of each cup of delicious small batch coffee that he personally selects from obscure micro parcels and experimental growers, and hand roasts himself.  When you’re on the hoof exploring the island for the day, you’ll appreciate the extra kick of Eduardo’s java, and this congenial chap is always up for a good chat about all things coffee, and life.

Mirenchu, the glass artist

You’ll see her beautiful designs and glass-ware spread around some of the island’s top boutiques and restaurants, but you have to know someone who knows someone if you want to visit the studio of Mirenchu Beascoechea, located in her beautiful home in a rural hamlet just outside of Palma. Glass production, and specifically glass blowing, came to Mallorca via the Phoenicians two millennia ago, but Mirenchu’s work crafts and moulds high-quality “floating glass” into unique plateware pieces many of which have the earthy aesthetics of rustic Japanese ceramics. She imbues these creations with enamel colours, bolder earthy tones and lighter Mediterranean style blues, bringing a sensibility that fuses her fashion design background with her Basque-Mallorcan roots.  I found Mirenchu utterly charming to chat with, speaking about the creative process and where inspiration is born.

Antonia, the figurine sculptor

At first glance I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Antonia and her clay sculptures of Siurells (pronounced, “SHUR-RAYS”), seeing the whimsical figurines of mule drivers, animals, and bull-headed men, among other mythological creatures, all moulded from local clay and formed by her expert hands, lined up on mantels in her home in the pottery village of Pórtol.  To my surprise, each is crafted to be a sort of whistle, and the Siurells are as ancient as the stones of the island, a pastoral tradition from a time when islanders feared the mighty Tramuntana winds as bad omen.  Shepherds and children would blow the Siurells to ward off evil spirits, and the distinctive colours: white, green and red are charged with symbolism.  Antonia relates to me that in her grandfather’s time the red accents of the Siurell figurines were painted using bull’s blood, a theory that holds water with the belief that Siurells are an ancient Minoan tradition that made its way to Mallorca from Crete via Sardinia.  The painter Joan Miró found inspiration in the Siurells for his artwork and the British author and Mallorcan resident Robert Graves of I, Claudius fame wrote about the Siurells in his novel, “The White Goddess”.  Antonia, who learned the craft from her mother,  turns outto be one of the last makers of Siurells on Mallorca, and with little interest to continue the tradition coming from the next generation, the Siurells are that much more precious of a piece of Mallorquin artistic history.  I was so taken with the story I had to pick up a few Siurells to take home to my daughter.

Victoria, the textile weaver

The Ikat tradition of weaving goes back to Central Asia and made its way centuries ago to Mallorca via the trade of the Silk Road.  My time living in Fez has made me something of a textile freak and I have an ever growing collection from my travels, so I was amazed to find that on Mallorca this centuries old craft carries on, and Victoria’s family is one of only three textile weavers on Mallorca to still produce in the traditional manner. From their small showroom, where the ancient loom used by her grandfather is still on display, we pass to the back of the building where weaving machines over 150 years old continue to produce the patterns and designs found in specialty shops around the island. Above the clackety-clack-clack sounds of the machines, Victoria explains how traditional dyes are still applied and how the looms are fixed and set. It’s quite something to see this multi-generational family industry still producing lovely fabrics and textile items, just minutes away from blissfully unaware beach goers.

Juan, the sculptor 

Seeing where he is today it would be easy to forget the hard road Juan had to walk to end up in the beautiful village of Deià where he has his sculpting studio and offers classes to the young and old through the wonderful La Residencia hotel, but his story resonated with me and I found in him an unexpected profundity and outlook which has no doubt found expression in his work.  Juan, originally from Chile, barely escaped with his life following the coup d’état which overthrew the democratically elected president Salvador Allende (a personal friend of his), eventually finding his way to Spain, but not before forming part of the Bauhaus movement in Chicago in the 1970s. His sculpting classes in his studio highlight his work in bronze, iron, and ceramics among others and have drawn in hundreds over the years (including a few Trufflepig clients) not just to learn sculpting techniques but to appreciate the medium and art through his eyes.

My day exploring Mallorca through this unique lens of its traditions and artists was eye-opening, proving again one can’t judge a book by its cover, and showing me that lovers of culture, artistic tradition and history have plenty to discover on an island so frequently oversold as a sea, sand and sun destination. Here’s to craft, to handwork, and tradition, potent antidotes to our ever more automated lives.

Sebastian crafts his Spain trips powered by lots of coffee and a handmade approach.  Reach out to him, to plan your next island getaway.